iPhone Losing Its Cool?

“There’s an interesting thing that’s going on in the market. The iPhone has become a little less cool than it was.”

Now, here at MindField we love our iPods, iPhones, iPads, you name it. We’d like to think it’s because they’re innovative, they work well (alone and together) and they have great apps. We’d like to think it’s NOT for the Apple “cool factor”…because that wouldn’t be cool somehow.

But the cool factor is a big part of it for a lot of people. Believe me, I know. I worked at a company that made cases and power accessories for Apple products. The boss would call a staff meeting. 30 people would gather around the big table, and all of them would immediately whip out their iPhones. Heck, about a third of them had iPads, too. And here I was with a dumb old Nokia flip-phone.

So when my wife’s boss was giving up his iPhone 3GS and upgrading to an iPhone 4, I jumped at his used model. Social faux pas averted! Coolness achieved!

So, when I read this article, “Has the iPhone Lost its Cool?”, I got a bit of a chuckle. Basically, it says that college kids are turning away from iPhone for one or both of the following reasons: first, if their parents love the iPhone – as parents definitely do – there must be something terribly LAME about it. Also, if you want an iPhone, you’d better be ready to lay down at least three bills for it – unless you buy a creaky old 3GS like mine! Meanwhile, nicely capable Android phones are available at a variety of price points.

Now, bear in mind, this article was based on an Android executive’s personal experience dropping his daughter off at her college dorm – so take it with a grain of salt! But what do you think? Has the iPhone lost some of its luster? Are you just as happy with an Android? Let us know!

8 thoughts on “iPhone Losing Its Cool?”

  1. My husband has an Iphone 3GS for work and an Evo at home…..he prefers the Evo with Android. He had always wanted the Iphone but after he got it said that Android has better function.

  2. I only have a semi basic phone to make calls on but I have an Apple Ipod Touch for everything else. I call it baby and keep it with me at all times. It wifi’s instantly just about everywhere to keep me in touch. Keeps my notes, calender, games, books and emails in order. I know but I call that VERY COOL!!!

  3. I am in my early 30’s and I think the iPhone is still cool. My sons 9 yr old teammate has one, so does his 16 yr old sister, and their dad who is in his 50’s! Apple will forever rock!

  4. I don’t know if it is losing it’s cool or not as I have never indulged in a iphone or any other ‘i-s”. I sure don’t begrudge people who do however; it means something to them, but I won’t go there. Don’t get me wrong, I love technology and all that it brings. It’s just that when I see everyone walking around with their eyes on a screen, oblivious to the world outside that screen, it causes concern. Will they miss seeing the beauty of nature? I don’t know. Will they miss seeing the faces of pain, joy or despair around them? I don’t know.
    But I suspect that might be so. Technology is meant to become obsolete, life isn’t.

  5. Love my iPhone, & love a few of the Android phones–but not as much. Anecdotally: I dropped my 10-month-old iPhone4 into water and it fried. Went to the Apple Store to cancel the Apple Care Plan before it kicked in @ the one-year anniversary (figured that I might as well use the $70 to get a new phone.) Told the Apple Genius what happened, and he said, “let’s see what I can do.” Came out of the back with a refurb/new iPhone4, handed it to me and said, “have a good one.” Free iPhone4 replacement!!!??

    He said that since I didn’t try to feed him some BS about getting stuck in the rain, and that I have a long service history with Apple–been a Macaholic since 2002, haven’t owned anything BUT Apple products since I gave up on Microsoft–they were just returning some of the love! Is Google gonna do that for me??? I seriously doubt that!

  6. I don’t have either one, but have been looking into upgrading soon. A rep from the phone company said iPhones are very easy to learn. The Androids are not as user friendly, but can be programmed to do just about anything you want it to do. Heck, I still take a long time texting….. but I really like the “DROID” annoucement. 🙂

  7. My kids are already out of college and I love my Iphone would love to get Ipad but too expensive for me. Heck I’d like to get the WII system as well.

  8. Iphones are the disco of smartphones. Disco became extremely popular in a short time and it became so popular that it became uncool and died very quickly. In 5 years the Iphone will be a footnote in the history of smartphones. Only old people and loyal fanboy and girls will still be using iphones. Android is so diverse it has staying power.

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